292 



■Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 May, 1916. 



It will be noticed that the differences between the bare-fallow and the 

 remaining plots were very marked in 1914 (the drought year), but that in 

 1915 two of the plots, viz., wheat after peas, both fed off and ploughed 

 in, gave better returns than the corresponding plot of bare-fallow 

 (Plot 5). 



The results demonstrate that the yield of wheat grown after forages 

 fed off with sheep are nearly as high as those in which the green crop 

 was ploughed under. Neither systems, however, give as high a yield as 

 bare-fallow, as might have been expected in a district where soil moisture 

 is the limiting factor to crop production. 



The net profit per acre obtained by growing wheat in rotation with 

 forages fed off is, however, much higher than than after bare-fallow. 

 In order to assess the cash value of the forages fed to the sheep, the in- 

 crease of live weight in sheep during the depasturing of the crop was 

 obtained by weighing a given number of sheep on and off the plots. 

 The increase in live weight ha? been reckoned at 2d. per lb., and the 

 increased value of the wool at l^d. }>er head per week. 





a 



Green Manure Trials — Feeding off Cape Barley with Sheep. 



This method of determining the value of the pasture has its limita- 

 tions, but it gives a good idea of the relative stock-carrying capacity of 

 >ach fodder. The results are summarized in the table. 



Plot 1 . Rape 

 „ 2. Barley . . 

 „ 3. Pease 

 ,, 4. Rye and Vetches 

 ,, 5. Bare-fallow 



Average Value of 

 Fodder Crops in 

 Seasons 1913-14. 



15 

 13 



16 

 18 



d. 

 9 

 1 



2 

 11 



Average Value of 



Wheat Crop at 



4s. per bushel, 



1914-15. 



s. d. 

 6 11 



12 

 



10 10 

 3 11 



Average Gross 

 Return for 

 two years. 



s. d. 



2 8 

 5 3 



16 8 



9 9 



3 11 



